RICHLAND, Mo. (Nov. 20, 2008) — Members of the Richland City Council voted Tuesday night to contribute $1,500 each year for the next three years to the new Pulaski County Growth Alliance, which is trying to raise enough money to hire an economic developer for Pulaski County.

That’s the same amount agreed to earlier by the city of Crocker, said Richland City Administrator Anita Ivey.

“I’ve talked to you about this several times,” Ivey said. “This is what came out of our regional economic grant that they got to study how we could diversify … It would give us some tools we don’t currently have to get us out there a little more.”

Alderman Mac Myers wanted more details.

“What we would gain from this is what my question was,” said Myers. “So you think this would be beneficial to us?”

Alderman Tim Bailey asked if the entire $4,500 needed to be paid immediately.

That won’t be needed, Ivey said; the contribution would be $1,500 per year for each of the next three years.

Mayor Bob Wall asked how the Pulaski County Growth Alliance would differ from the Fort Leonard Wood RCGA. The new organization’s focus will be on Pulaski County’s growth with specific efforts being made to help the smaller northern cities of Pulaski County, not just those close to Fort Leonard Wood.

Aldermen voted to make the requested contribution and also appointed Ivey as the city’s representative to the Pulaski County Growth Alliance board, with Alderman Nathan Sheridan as her alternate.

Police Chief M.J. Hurney reported that he’s already been able to obtain significant grants for the city police department, most recently a $7,500 local law enforcement grant. The only items cut out were a request for flashlights and one radio.

“They try to get as much money out to all the departments that are putting their hands out asking for it, so I think we done good on that,” Hurney said.

Hurney said the Pulaski County 911 Board recently decided to increase its fees to Richland and other cities which use the 911 dispatching service. Richland will pay $200 more, Hurney said, for services that include checking Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System criminal records that tell officers on a traffic stop or other incident whether the person they’ve stopped has any warrants and provides details of past criminal history.

“It’s the same contract, from what I gather, except it’s going up $200 more a year,” Hurney said. “We don’t really have a choice.”

Ivey said the director of the rural development program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently came to Richland with some of his staff to present a $51,990 mock check representing money given by his agency to Richland in recent years for projects such as two cars, a siren and an emergency electrical generator.

In other business:

• Aldermen unanimously approved Wall nomination of Eldon Haun, a local teacher, to replace Ward I Alderman Bill Tompkins who has moved out of the city limits. Haun will serve until the April city council election.

“He came in and expressed an interest in being on the board,” Wall said. “That’s the only one who expressed any interest to me at all.”